


all the diamonds of the night

by darknesshadows (FeatheredShadow)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Parabatai Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 09:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13738284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeatheredShadow/pseuds/darknesshadows
Summary: Following his parabatai ceremony, Jace had been forced to leave the New York Institute for Idris. Seven years later, between rumors of Valentine’s return and the constitution of a counter-power to the Clave, he was ready to come back where he belonged.





	all the diamonds of the night

**Author's Note:**

> [Art cover](http://ofgoldenblood.tumblr.com/post/171062646432/overwhelmed-by-emotions-he-closed-his) by the wonderful [Vearth](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Vearth/pseuds/Vearth), thanks a lot darling <3

_Gotta say it was nice to know you all_  
_Take a look cause the writing’s on the wall  
_ _You disappear but I survive_

[Sum 41 - A Murder Of Crows](http://www.deezer.com/track/126156125?utm_source=deezer&utm_content=track-126156125&utm_term=1594358_1519070579&utm_medium=web)

* * *

Jace landed on the ground in a swift move, ending his fall with a roll before jumping back to his feet. He quickly scanned his surroundings, making sure the hood of coat hadn’t moved and was still covering his face before turning around, looking at the huge building he had just jumped from. Except for the two guards he had gotten rid of in the library, no one seemed to have noticed his presence, which was as well. Maybe someone would come inspect the room, if they were to walk by the corridor and notice the cold air coming from under the library’s door, but until then, it was safe to say he would be long gone.

Turning around, he quickly made a dash for the forest nearby, activating the rune that allowed him to see as plain as day in the middle of the night. No matter how unlikely it was that someone would go investigate in the library of the secondary residence of the Blackthorn family, it was still best for him not to stick around. They might have thought themselves clever, to hide some of their most precious family heirdoms in that secondary residence instead of the main one, but Jace had always been the kind to bet on the most unlikely option.

Walking quietly through the forest, he palped the exterior of his leather jacket, making sure the book he had come to retrieve was still in the hidden pocket, where he had put it. He didn’t seriously think it would have fallen when he had jumped by the window – he was too used to that kind of move by now – but it never hurt to be careful. He hadn’t gone through all the hassle of going undercover to Alicante and go through the wards of the residence to leave without this book.

The forest was calm around him and he relaxed a little as he was slowly walking away from the manor. His mission had obviously gone along well and he could now start focusing on the second part of his plan. He still needed to figure out the best window to get out of the country to actually meet Clary Fairchild in the flesh this time – months and months of phone conversations and fire messages had made it clear they wouldn’t be able to go much further without talking face to face.

Jace still couldn’t believe his grandmother was blind enough to refuse seeing all the signs that pointed to Valentine’s return until it was too late. Hell, he never had much a good opinion on her since she had barged in his parabatai ceremony – too late to interrupt it, as the fire circles were already burning, his and Alec’s arms clapped together – and brought him back to Idris with her, telling him the truth about his real parentage. He had refused it to accept it at first, not believing her, but blood didn’t lie and he was a Herondale. _The last of the Herondales._ From that point, his training had intensified, adding politics and lessons about his family and the responsibilities that came with it. He wouldn’t have minded that much, if he had been allowed to keep in touch with Alec and the rest of the Lightwoods, but Imogen had used all means in her possession to stop it from happening. She still hadn’t digested the fact that her grandson had bound himself with the son of former Circle members, and had refused to have him being more _tainted_ – her words, that had caused more than one shouting match between her and Jace – by the Lightwood’s influence.

Which explained why Jace hadn’t seen or talked to or had even been able to _write to_ his parabatai for seven long years.

Seven years.

Sometimes, Jace still couldn’t believe it was real and not a nightmare – one his father’s games to train him and mold him into the greatest Shadowhunter ever. He missed Alec fiercely, an ever-present ache in his bones – the only thing that convinced him the parabatai bond was still alive between them. Imogen hadn’t dared cutting the rune: for all of her hatred for the Lightwoods, forcing two parabatai to be separated right after the ceremony was concluded was something that was rather unheard. No one knew what kind of impact it could have on the bond, and Jace was worried that it hadn’t quite entirely settled into place when he had been forced to leave New York.

The look of despair in Alec’s eyes had haunted his nights for _months_ afterwards, and it still came back in his dreams from time to time now.

Jace missed him fiercely, and had thought he would suffocate under the weight of Alec’s absence, at first. But he had gotten used to it – as he had gotten used to his father’s absence, no matter how long it had taken. Still, he had never felt really complete after he had been forced to come live in Idris, and he knew why – knew that one piece of his soul was still in New York. And no matter how much he loved having a family of his own and knowing where he came from – although it had taken him time to adjust at the notion – he couldn’t forgive Imogen for what she had done.

Not when a part of him was still crying out for Alec to be at his side.

Sometimes, he could feel the parabatai rune warming up under his fingers, and he always wondered what was happening to Alec. Was he happy? In pain? Had he forgotten about him, and was only reminded of his existence by the presence of the rune? (It was, of course, something Jace hadn’t talked about it with _anyone_ , no matter who had brought up the issue with him. His relationship was Alec was a private matter, the only thing that was _his_ and his only, and no one ought to know about it.)

He heard the sound of branches cracking and stilled for a moment, his hand already on the handle of his Seraph blade. Quickly moving away from the path he had been following so far, he positioned himself behind a huge tree, scanning his surroundings. He didn’t have to wait long before spotting a couple of wolves walking slowly in the same direction he had been following. Frowning a little, he focused on the animals, trying to find out if they were regular wolves or werewolves. Downworlders had made themselves scare within Brocelind Forest, especially since the first rumors of Valentine’s return had been heard, especially since he had been said to grow an army once more. The wards were supposed to be as strong as usual, but Jace had his doubts about it, knowing full well about Valentine’s experiments, even more so now that he had been allowed to read the archives about the Uprising. He had tried to convince his grandmother that Idris wasn’t the safest place in the world for Nephilim, but it had been to no avail.

More demons than usual had been sighted all around Alicante recently.

Of course, they wouldn’t have been in that situation if the Clave had listened to the pleas of Clary Fairchild, two years ago, but they had been deaf to her appeal, showing their disdain at the disappearance of a former Circle member – one that everyone already thought long gone. Jace had wanted to help her – knowing all too well how it felt to have a parent disappear – but Imogen had refused and had instead sent him to complete his training far away.

Somedays, Jace still couldn’t believe he had ended up in Australia for nine months. He wasn’t a big fan of the country, preferring cities to the vast landscapes where most Australian Shadowhunters conducted their missions, but he had hadn’t a word to say on the topic, as usual. The only good thing to come out of that, except for the people he had met, was the few discoveries he had made in the library. Although less furnished than the one in Idris, there were still a few interesting books in there, which had been an interesting source of knowledge for him. He had even managed to find a copy of a poetry book about the parabatai bond – something that, although referenced in Idris’ library, he hadn’t been able to put his hands on until then. The words had resonated deeply in him when he had read the first poems, and he had been intent on finding a copy of his own, something that had required a few travels in the various islands of Oceania.

That little book of poetry had become one of his most cherished possessions, and he always kept it hidden in his personal safe, along with a few memorabilia of his time spent with his father and then with the Lightwoods. He had been careful not to use his safe to hide all the weapons, books and magical items required to fight Valentine. He didn’t want the content of the safe to be stolen, or even explored by Imogen or her guards, should his plans be discovered.

After all, if the Clave wasn’t going to use all means necessary to fight Valentine and his army, he wasn’t going to just sit there and wait for them to realize the urgency of the situation. All Shadowhunters needed to fight, and if they had to team up with Downworlders to do so, then so be it.

One of the wolves growled a little as they kept walking closer to him, and Jace quickly climbed up the tree, making sure the book he had stolen was still in his pocket. On principle, he now tried not to judge werewolves on _what_ they were, but rather _who_ , considering that it was a werewolf that had accompanied Clary Fairchild in her discovery of the Shadow world. The girl was a little touchy about that topic, and Jace had had to learn to let go his prejudices – which had been a little easier when he had found out Luke Garroway used to have a parabatai, even if the man was nothing to be proud of.

Only a madman like Valentine would be intent on destroying a parabatai bond – the most precious, most important bond Jace had ever encountered. Knowing that Valentine had stolen this from his own parabatai had made it easier for Jace to trust Luke Garroway, and it hadn’t taken much convincing for him to join the fight, while the Clave refused to listen to Clary and her warnings at Valentine’s return.

 _Fools_ , all of them. They were going to get them all killed, and it might be too late already.

Jace’s mood was somber as he watched the wolves walking away, one of them still growling softly. Animals, most likely, they didn’t have the characteristics of werewolves – something that he had spent a long time studying, first with his father and then in the New York Institute.

Jace had sympathy for wolves – the idea of a pack had always appealing to a young orphaned boy – and he wasn’t very inclined to hurt them if they weren’t a threat to his safety.

Werewolves, on the other hand… no matter that Valentine was a common enemy, some of them were still intent on destroyed Shadowhunters. They weren’t as deceitful as Seelies – a people Jace was more than cautious of – but still dangerous. Accidents could happen easily, in battle, and Jace had always made sure his back was covered, when he had to deal with werewolves of the New York pack, or their allies. His alliance with Clary Fairchild didn’t seem to held much weight, considering that he still hadn’t meet her, despite the fact that their conversations had been going on for _months_.

He still couldn’t quite believe she had managed to grow an alliance of Downworlders around her, but it might explain with the Clave refused to listen to her warnings. The Accords were in place for a reason, a voice that suspiciously sounded like Imogen’s said in his head, and Shadowhunters weren’t supposed to meddle with Downworlders. Jace didn’t think Clary wanted to bring another Uprising, not when Valentine had been responsible for the disappearance of her mother, but he could understand why the Clave thought so. After all, it was rumored that Jocelyn Fairchild had brought the Mortal Cup with her, when she had left the Shadow world so long ago, and that the Cup had fallen into Valentine’s hands shortly after Clary had found her mother back.

Such news weren’t good for the Shadow World, but Jace refused to believe it was all part of a plan. He had talked with Clary enough times to know she wasn’t bent on destroying their world – and especially not Downworlders, considering how close she was to some of them – but of course the Clave wouldn’t listen to that, too stuck in their ways as they were.

Jace only hoped it wouldn’t cause the destruction of the Shadow World. Their stubbornness at refusing to accept that Valentine was back – and that an alliance with Downworlders was needed – might very well be their downfall. Jace would do anything in his power to stop it, but sometimes he doubted it would be enough.

Still, he would try, which explained why he had broken into the Blackthorn’s secondary residence, intent on retrieving an old spell book. He had no idea how the Blackthorn family had ended up having a warlock’s spell book in their library, but it clearly would be put to better use in the hands of an _actual_ warlock. Jace wasn’t sure how he felt about having to team up with warlocks – immortal creatures tended to freak him out, hence why he avoided vampires as much as possible, unless they had committed offenses and the Clave wanted to get rid of them.

Now, all he needed was to leave the Brocelind Forest, and after that Idris, without drawing attention, and then to reach New York. He wasn’t too sure yet how he was going to do it. There were, of course, the portals of Idris, but they traced every travel that were made, which of course wouldn’t do for discretion. And warlocks weren’t exactly welcome around the precincts – something Jace could understand, given the nature of the wards. No, the only option left in his eyes was to do it the mundane way – something that, according to Luke Garroway, might be more complicated than he thought.

Apparently, taking a plane to the USA wasn’t exactly an easy matter.

ooOoo

Taking a plane turned out to be the easiest part of the plan. Jace had been preparing his escape for a long time now, and had only emptied his safe at the last minute, once he was sure he had the right window of opportunity to leave. Imogen had been busy with Clave’s matters and he had quietly left the Herondale manor, his whole life in a nondescript black back bag. Leaving Idris for the mundane world had caused him to hesitate for a couple of minutes before going ahead, knowing it was finally time for him to go back to New York.

The travel itself had been quiet, no one minding him, and he hadn’t even bothered to flirt with his seat neighbors to make time fly (ah!) faster, too busy re-reading his notes. He was supposed to go to Luke Garroway’s flat on his own, once he would land in New York, and he remembered the public transports well enough, but it still couldn’t hurt to check his itinerary once again. From that point, he was due to meet with Clary Fairchild – _finally_ – and then see how he could settle into their little group. The fact that Clary’s best friend was a newly-turned vampire didn’t make him feel particularly comfortable, but mundane were prone to that kind of _accidents_ , especially when they first set foot within the Shadow world.

He hoped he would be able to bump into Alec quickly enough. Knowing that he would be in the same city as his parabatai was enough to make him jump in excitement, but he refused to let it show. Clary didn’t know about his links with the New York Institute, and it was as well, given the bad history she had with the Clave. From what he had heard, Maryse and Robert had been the ones in charge of the New York Institute when Clary had discovered the truth about her parentage, and things hadn’t gone too well from that point. Jace hadn’t asked questions, careful not to tread the line. He had rumors about Izzy – that she had grown rather _close_ with Seelies, something that was sure to make Maryse and Robert foam at the mouth, given their opinions on Downworlders – but nothing about Alec. The Clave thought it an object of mockery that he had taken into archery – something that made Jace more furious than he could express, given Alec’s talent at it and the work he had been putting into it – and his name rarely came up in conversations.

Jace wondered if something had happened – nothing outrageously _bad_ , as he would have heard of it – but something…

Nephilims weren’t particularly renowned for their open-mindedness, after all.

Still, he felt almost giddy when he finally set foot on the tarmac of the airport, barely feeling the jetlag – only a little pull deep at the bottom of his stomach, so weak he barely noticed it. His sleeping habits had grown more erratic over the past few months and he had taken the time to sleep in the plane, forcing himself to get some rest before facing whatever it was that New York would throw at him.

That didn’t stop him from feeling a little tired once he finally reached Luke’s building, his bag thrown carelessly over his shoulder. He had been careful to glamour himself as soon as he had left the airport, not wanting anyone to notice him, but his little trip through New York had proved more challenging than he remembered. Alicante had nothing on the bustling life of a huge mundane megalopolis and it had taken him more than a few minutes before getting used to the bustling life of the city.

Food was the only thing floating at the back of his mind when his finger hit the buzzer. A young, feminine voice answered and he was quick to introduce himself, before a loud click let him know the door was now open. From that point, it only took him a couple of minutes to take up the stairs before finally reaching Luke’s floor and his apartment.

The door was open when he arrived and he frowned a little at that, considering the show of trust to be bordering on recklessness. Habits tended to die hard, but mundanes were too trusting for their own good.

The flat was lively when he first set foot in it, and he stopped for a moment, looking at the family picture in front of him. The Garroway-Fairchild family was happily sitting in the living room, whose decoration was so comfortable and homely Jace felt his heart clench a little. He had never experimented such familial love in the atmosphere – be it with his father or his grandmother. And him having been taken in and trained by the Lightwoods had never meant he was really part of their family, no matter how much he had wanted it, after a time. Besides, Shadowhunters weren’t very big on huge displays of affection anyway, but it still made Jace feel a little nostalgic of his time at the Institute.

By Raziel, he missed Alec _bad_.

“Oh, you must be Jace!” Luke – that could be no one else, given his looks – said after a couple of seconds, noticing his presence.

The knowing look in his eyes made it clear he had noticed Jace’s presence since he had first set foot in the flat, but Jace was glad he had pretended otherwise.

All conversations stopped at that, everyone turning to look at him. Jocelyn Fairchild looked no different than what he had seen of her in the pictures – older, of course, and wearing mundane clothes, but all the same nonetheless. Clary looked very much like her mother, red hair burning in the afternoon light, paint spots staining her clothes. There was another person here, who looked to be the same age as Clary, and Jace suspected it was her vampire friend. Rumor had it he was a Daylighter, and that seemed to be truth, given how comfortably he was lounging on the couch.

“Welcome to New York,” Luke went on, offering him his hand.

Jace shook it vigorously before turning to the other people in the room. Jocelyn had a cautious look on her face but Clary looked absolutely delighted to see him in the flesh – a feeling Jace could understand all too well. They had grown rather close thanks to their phone conversations, and it was nice to finally stand together in the same. Besides, the girl was more than pretty, and her clothes did nothing to hide it – but it was the determination in her eyes that made him appreciate her even more.

“I’m glad to be here,” Jace answered, shaking Clary’s hand when it was offered. “It’s very generous of you to invite me here.”

“Oh _please_ ,” Clary said, handwaving his words away. “Where else were you supposed to go? The Clave is going to notice there’s a new Shadowhunter in town, and probably sooner than later, especially if we come across people from the Institute,” and there was a sneer on her face at that, “so it’s safer for you to be here. You don’t know how these people are.”

Jace stayed silent for a moment, a bit surprised at her hostility for the residents of the Institute, but not very inclined to poke any further. He wanted to judge of the situation by himself, after all, and it was obvious he wouldn’t gain anything by revealing his past time in the Institute.

“Besides, there are wards created by warlocks around this flat,” Luke added in a calmer voice. “Nobody would be able to track you through them. Not that I think anyone will think of it, but it can’t hurt to be careful.”

“Imogen isn’t stupid,” Jocelyn pointed out, still reserved.

Her eyes warmed up a little when she took in Jace’s flinch. He hadn’t been able to control his reaction and blamed himself for it. His father would have been so disappointed…

“We still have some time before she discovers I’m gone,” Jace answered, sitting on the armchair that was offered to him. “I’ve been going away a lot recently, for missions or to meet up with other Shadowhunters. It will take some time before she realizes I’m not where I usually go.”

“Thankfully,” Luke mumbled before being interrupted by Clary.

“So, do you have it? The book?”

Jace nodded before carefully taking it from his bag, noticing how Clary urged forward to get it before stopping herself. He got a nice view of her cleavage at the same time and she raised an eyebrow when their eyes met again as she settled onto the couch again, a little smile at the corner of her lips.

“This is great news,” Jocelyn said in a very relaxed voice, tension visibly evacuating her body. “We’re due to meet with Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn, tonight and he will be delighted to have it back.”

“No kidding,” Jace mumbled before putting the book back in his bag. “Especially if it can be useful…”

“You have _no idea_ ,” Clary promised him with an intense look. “But until then… can you tell me how is Idris? Mom hasn’t gone in _years_.”

ooOoo

Being back in New York was _nice_ , there was no other way around it, but Jace could feel the tension in the atmosphere. Clary seemed to be unaware of it, happily chatting with her friend as she was – and the vampire didn’t seem to be much more aware of the tension – but Jace noticed it easily enough. The spots left by demon’s ichor were visible if you focused a little, and it was plain as day there had been a recrudescence in demons’ attacks, given the state of the buildings everywhere. Downworlders were tense too – he had spotted a few werewolves turning back on their heels as soon as they had seen them – and the absence of vampires in the middle of the Downworlders neighbor was more than noticeable.

Things had changed over the past seven years and Jace wondered, not for the last time, how blind the Clave could get. It was obvious dark forces had been at work – and the strange colors of the clouds in the night made it even more visible, for those who could read the signs anyway. It reinforced Jace’s desire to fight from the ground, Clave’s politics be damned. They were going to lose everything if they couldn’t get all Shadowhunters to unite and join the fight, and he wasn’t going to let it happen – not if he could help it.

“So, the Pandemonium,” Clary suddenly said in his ear, entwining their arms.

Jace slightly turned his head to look at her, noticing the make-up she was wearing and how more skin-fitting her clothes were. They wouldn’t be a hinder if they needed to fight, something that had a high probability to happen, if he trusted his gut feeling, but they clearly were a big change from what she had been wearing earlier in the day.

“It’s a nightclub, and it’s owned by Magnus Bane,” she quickly explained him.

Jace bit back a smile at that, very well aware he knew more about the place than she did.

“It’s safer for everyone that we meet him there, you know, better for our alibies if it’s needed. The Shadowhunters of the Institute have been making a lot of rounds here recently and it’s best that they don’t know we’re on close grounds with Magnus.”

“Of course,” Jace agreed with a little nod, wondering what the hell was going on was exactly.

Maryse and Robert were prejudiced, for sure, but he doubted they would waste their fighters to lead raids on a Downworlders nightclub without a good reason. On the other hand, the increased presence of demons might be a good explanation – and a good opportunity to bump into some people...

He tried not to get his hopes up at the thought. If there were more demons in the nightclub and Shadowhunters came more often than usual, then maybe he would come across Alec and Izzy without having to track them across the city – or even having to create an _occasion_ to see them.

He carefully kept his thoughts to himself as they finally got into the club, the bouncer nodding at Clary as she passed by. The club was filled to the brim, music resonating loudly in his body, and Jace made sure to stick close to Clary and her friend, scanning the crowd and looking for threats – or familiar faces. A tall, brown-haired figure wearing a leather outfit quickly attracted his attention, a little pang resonating in his stomach, but he forced himself to look away. Now was the time for work, not enjoyment, and he didn’t want anyone to notice how drawn by the man he had been.

The club was mostly filled with mundanes but there was also a good amount of Downworlders, and Jace soon needed to watch where he was going to avoid bumping into someone. He could spot the various private rooms that were circling around the room, as well as the huge curtains that blocked the entry to the more VIP part of the club. There were a few faces that seemed familiar, in the crowd, but he wasn’t too sure about it. They seemed to be Downworlders he had seen elsewhere, but he couldn’t have sworn it – and they weren’t who he was interested in, anyway.

Focused on finding Magnus Bane, he didn’t react when someone skimmed very close to him and bit back a curse when another person didn’t avoid him, their bodies bumping. It was a man around his age, taller than him – which was unusual – and with raven dark hair that would probably very soft under his hands. Jace felt familiar heat pooling at the bottom of his stomach, the brief contact enough to assure him the man’s body would be firm and finely sculpted, if he could get a look at him without clothes on. He had been extremely careful to keep that part of his attraction hidden, preferring going for nameless encounter with mundanes rather than Downworlders, and no one in Idris was none the wiser about it, which was for the best.

The man seemed rather pissed at having bounced into him and turned to face him, annoyance clear in his voice and on his face.

“Hey, watch where you’re… _Jace_?”

Jace felt his heart stop as soon as he laid his eyes on the man’s figure. These hazel eyes were far too familiar and it took him a few seconds to realize that it was his parabatai standing in front of him.

Heat was pulsing in his rune, warmth suddenly flooding him.

Alec had _grown_ and turned into a beautiful man, with sharp features that were already making Jace swoon, and he would probably have done something stupid if Clary hadn’t suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and grabbed him by the wrist, forcing him to follow her without even having the time to say a word to his parabatai.

They walked so quickly through the crowd that Jace almost immediately lost sight of him, only knowing he was still around due to the pulse in his parabatai rune and the foreign emotions he was suddenly feeling – surprise, excitement, something very warm he couldn’t quite pinpoint, and dread underneath it all. He wished he could go back to Alec, wanting nothing more than to throw himself into his arms, but he knew the mission had to come first – for the evening at least.

“Crap,” Clary finally said once they were far enough, looking extremely annoyed. “It’s just our luck, _they_ ’re here.”

“Who?” Jace asked, trying to catch sight of Alec amid the crowd, through no avail, a bit annoyed that she was still holding onto his wrist.

“The Lightwood siblings,” Clary answered in a sour voice, the bitterness enough to get Jace’s attention to focus entirely on her. “ _She_ isn’t too bad, and not hostile to Downworlders at least, but _him_ … He’s just the poster boy for the Clave, you know? All about the Law, and following the rules, and blablabla. He’s really a stuck-up guy. Careful with him.”

That sounded a bit like the Alec he knew, Jace thought with fondness. He knew perfectly well his parabatai had been groomed by his parents to become the Head of the New York Institute since he was just a child, and he wasn’t surprised to hear that Alec was still the procedural kind. As he often repeated, it was important to know the Law to uphold it correctly.

“They aren’t that bad,” Simon interjected, making Clary jump a little as he appeared next to them, his clothes looking slightly out of place in a nightclub. “Okay, they shoot first and ask questions later, but at least they’re not hunting Downworlders for sport, and they actually believed us when we said Valentine was back.”

Jace frowned a little at that. Shadowhunters weren’t supposed to be hunting Downworlders at all – that was reserved for demons. Bringing them to face the Clave’s justice wasn’t supposed to be a hunt either, and he wondered, not for the first time, what was happening in New York exactly. He knew tensions had been growing between the Clave and Downworlders since Clary had made her appeal for help, two years ago, but he hadn’t realized things had changed that much on the field.

That explained why relationships with Downworlders all over the world had grown strained, though. And obviously, it was at the worst time possible, when Valentine was on the rise, growing a new army, and the Clave refused to face that very uncomfortable – and _dangerous_ – truth.

“He’s a real asshole,” Clary mumbled, Simon rolling his eyes next to her.

“He didn’t want to help us, at first,” he explained to Jace in hushed tones. “His sister, yes, but _he_ didn’t want to, and Clary and him really don’t get along at all. Well, he did, after a time, his sister was very persistent, but… Well, anyway, we try to avoid them as much as we can. They’re the Clave’s soldiers, you know, like everyone else at the Institute.”

The vampire looked extremely serious, all of a sudden, and that more than anything else made Jace inclined to listen to him. He wondered, once again, what had happened to Alec and Izzy after he had left. He doubted his parabatai was the kind to refuse his help to anyone who would ask for it, but given how he liked to do everything by the rules, there was little doubt he would have been ruffled by Clary’s methods.

After all, he knew enough she had been advocating for complete equality between Nephilims and Downworlders right from the start, and had a very poor opinion of the Clave and its methods. And if she had followed her ideas and pushed for change as soon as she had met Alec and Izzy… yeah, no wonder she had gotten along well with one but not with the other.

Lost in his thoughts, he absentmindedly followed the pair as they walked deeper through the crowd before finally reaching a slightly carefully hidden spot, difficult to see from the rest of the room but from which there was an excellent visibility on everything that was happening in the club.

“Magnus!”

“There you are, Biscuit,” the High Warlock of Brooklyn said, raising from his couch with the grace of a panther.

His outfit was very _peculiar_ in Jace’s eyes, all silk, glitter and gemstones, but he didn’t say a word. The warlock was known for his extravagant style and the make-up he was harboring was so elaborate Jace couldn’t help but wonder how long it had taken to be done. A colorful crowd was surrounding him, sitting and lying on the couch and the various armchairs around, but Magnus Bane ushered them away, inviting them instead to sit down on the seats that were previously occupied.

“I trust you didn’t have any problems to come?” he inquired in a singing tone, looking fondly at Clary and Simon before turning his attention on Jace.

His eyes were a lot colder all of a sudden, cat’s eyes flashing briefly as he studied Jace, who raised an eyebrow at the little show-off. Magnus Bane might be one of the most powerful warlocks around, but that didn’t mean Jace was going to be impressed by ostentatious clothes and a warlock’s mark so discreet – cat’s eyes were far from being the most astounding mark he had come across.

“Jonathan Herondale,” Bane said in a very flat voice, studying him intently. “I’ve heard about you.”

“Glad to hear about it,” Jace answered with a slightly bragging tone and a shrug, not very impressed by his attitude. “I heard about you too.”

They stared at each for a moment before Clary coughed a little, trying to make sure hostility wouldn’t take place in their meeting.

“Jace brought you something,” she said before giving him a very pointed look, sitting very straight on her chair.

It made her cleavage stands out even more in her tight dress, but Jace didn’t react to her little show, preferring instead to take out the spell book from his jacket’s inner pocket. He handed it out to the warlock, careful to hold it with the care required by its age.

Cat’s eyes flashed again as Magnus Bane took hold of it, carefully opening it before reverently brushing his fingers against the fragile pages.

“Well, I didn’t think I would see it again any time soon,” he whispered, a strange look on his face.

The moment didn’t last long and he closed it quickly before making it disappear in the depths of his outfits. Jace hadn’t noticed any pocket there, but he didn’t even blink, far too aware that warlocks were masters at deceptions and hidden tricks.

“Where did you find it?” Bane asked, his tone less aggressive this time, more formal.

Jace could feel the weight of his full attention on him and had to restrain himself from shifting on his seat.

“Idris,” he said without heat, not inclined in sharing more – especially in the middle of a nightclub.

The warlock titled his head and nodded a little, gaze still focused on him.

 “I heard it might be useful to… what Clary has in mind,” Jace went on, before being rewarded by another small nod, Clary suddenly smiling with satisfaction next to them.

“It’s true it will be of a great help to fight Valentine,” Bane said, his face twisting into a grimace at the name. “We’re going to need everything we can get to –”

He didn’t get the opportunity to finish his sentence as there was suddenly an explosion, people screaming in the nightmare. Jace cursed loudly and jumped on his feet as a hoard of mantids appeared in the club.

Magnus Bane swore loudly too, fire already coming from his hands before he projected them onto the beasts.

“Clary, stay with Simon and try to protect the mundanes around,” Jace ordered her before quickly running through the panicked crowd, Seraph blade drawn.

He had missed the thrill of the chase, but a nightclub frequented by Downworlders and mundanes alike was no good hunting place, and the damn thing soon turned into a bloodbath, as people were trying to run to the doors, only to find them blocked.

 _Valentine_ , Jace suddenly realized. The damn attack had his mark all over – trying to get rid of Downworlders, mundanes and demons in the same move, and too bad for the Shadowhunters who were in the bad place at the bad time.

At least there was more than one warlock around to lit the beasts on fire, but it wasn’t enough to kill them all without hurting innocent people.

Jace soon lost himself in the rhythm of the battle, fighting off the mantids he could reach, all while trying to protect the few warlocks that were sending fire balls at the demons. He spotted a few other Seraph blades shining in the darkness of the nightclub – the lights still hadn’t been turned on, which was both a help and a hinder – but focused on what was happening around him.

He didn’t realize he had been slowly separated from the rest of the fighters until he found himself surrounded by three huge mantids, clicking and chittering at him. Swallowing with difficulties, he held tighter on his blade and positioned himself to fight off the beasts when another Seraph blade suddenly lit up very close to him.

The parabatai bond started singing, which was all he needed to know Alec was at his side, ready to fight.

 _In battle, our hearts beat as one_ , Jace thought before suddenly attacking.

It was like dancing with a partner, the two of them moving with grace and coordination, never knocking into each other, while they hadn’t trained together for _years_. Hell, they had spent more time apart than together, but it didn’t seem to matter, power and energy running between them.

Fire was running through his veins and the battle seemed to go on forever, Alec and him moving around each other without ever touching, like ghosts in the wind, until all the mantids were finally destroyed, lying dead on the ground. Only then did they stop moving and finally looked at each other, panting slightly. Blood was buzzing in Jace’s ears and he flinched a little when he felt a hand at the back of his arm.

“You can go, now,” Magnus Bane said in a tired voice next to him, a smell of burnt flesh surrounding his fancy clothes. “We’ll take care of the mundanes.”

“Sure,” Jace mumbled, almost tripping over the syllables.

Alec looked at him – at them – for a moment before nodding and turning away, his tall frame quickly disappearing through the smoke that had grown in the club while they had been fighting the demons. Jace was quick to follow him, the bond thrumming, pulling him towards his parabatai, exhilaration almost bubbling on his lips. It was an effort to restrain himself and stay silent, at least until he finally walked back onto the street, quickly looking around until he spotted Alec’s frame walking.

It wasn’t very difficult to follow him, the bond still tugging at Jace’s rune, a magnetic pull that drew him along until his footsteps led him to a little street not far away from the nightclub. Mundane life was still bustling with activity on the main artery, not far away, but Jace’s consciousness quickly drowned out the sounds, focusing instead on Alec’s silhouette, leaning against the wall. Streetlights were scarce around them and it was much as the moonlight than the electric lampposts that allowed Jace to really look at his parabatai.

He was fit, his body built to fight and kill, there was no doubt about that, but there was a tension on his shoulders that hadn’t been there when Jace had been forced to leave, all those years ago. The blackness of his clothes made Alec’s skin even paler than it really was, stains of blood and ichor mingled together on the leather, and Jace drank in the sight, taking in everything he could laid eyes on.

Alec was staring right in front of him, cheekbones cutting sharp against the darkness of the night, and he didn’t react until Jace finally walked up to him, his breathing a little erratic.

The bond was still a mess of tangled feelings, and there was still this warmth feeling that was threatened to drown everything in its wake. It didn’t scare Jace in the slightest – although it probably ought to, given the intensity of _everything_ he could feel – but he had long ago finally admitted to himself that what he felt for Alec hadn’t been only friendship and a little crush on someone he respected and admired, but something far more encompassing.

The book of parabatai poetry he had found had one poem claiming that parabatai – _true_ , real parabatai, who could never abandon each other – had their souls calling to each other right from the moment they were born, and that until the ceremony was conducted. It was only the highest form of love that could express itself in a bond such as a parabatai bond, where souls could flourish and grow stronger once they were bound together.

The words were still floating at the back of Jace’s mind when he stopped close to Alec, looking at him before speaking up.

“Parabatai.”

It was only one word but it was enough to get Alec’s attention, to have those hazel eyes focusing on him, wide and a bit hallucinated, taking in the lines of his face. Jace didn’t say a word, waiting patiently until Alec had satisfied himself with his sight. The alley was quiet, safe for the erratic sound of their breathing. _Something_ was unfolding, something Jace felt like he ought to recognize, that was just at the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn’t name itself in his mind.

“ _Alec_ ,” he finally said after a while, moving a little closer.

This seemed to cause something to snap in his parabatai, and he barely had the time to open his arms before finding himself engulfed in a hug, Alec’s breath warm against the shell of his ear.

“You’re _back_ ,” Alec said in a choked-up tone, holding tightly onto him.

Jace hold him back as fiercely as he could, feeling something finally settle inside him. It felt like coming home – coming back to something he had missed more dearly than words could express, and that was finally in his reach.

Overwhelmed by emotions, he closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the warmth of Alec’s body against his, on the beating of Alec’s heart that he could feel reverberating through the bond, grounding him and assuring him he wasn’t alone anymore.

_Never again._

“I missed you so much,” Jace said in a low voice, visage hidden in the crook of Alec’s neck.

“Me too,” came the answer in a strangled voice.

No matter how pleasant the embrace was, they had to separate after a time, taking a few steps back to really look at each other. Jace wasn’t sure how he had found himself leaning against the wall while Alec was now standing in front of him, the moon high over his head, giving him a silver halo, but it didn’t matter. Not when he still had his hands over Alec’s, their fingers intertwined, skin brushing against leather.

The pull he had felt before was still present, having somehow been calmed by their embrace, but still lurking at the back of his mind, like an itch he couldn’t quite scratch.

They were standing really close to each other and Jace had half a mind to grab his parabatai by his jacket, but kept himself under control. The look Alec was giving him was far too intense to be purely platonic, but they had only found themselves each other again after so many years – now wasn’t the time to ruin everything by acting too fast.

“When did you come back?” Alec asked in a low, slightly hoarse voice, fingers shaking slightly against his.

He reminded Jace of his falcon, sometimes, even after all these years, and it made him smile a little, one hand brushing against Alec’s while the other let go to move to where the parabatai rune had been drawn. A full-body shiver made Alec twitch a little at the gesture but he didn’t say a word, almost pushing his body against Jace’s hand.

Jace could feel the warmth of the parabatai rune radiating against his palm through the layers of clothes, and it was almost enough to make him forget to answer the question.

“I only arrived today,” he finally said after a long moment of silence. “No one knows I left the manor,” he added quickly, his voice more somber. “The Clave still isn’t doing anything against Valentine, so I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands.”

“By joining the little girl,” Alec said in a flat tone, a dark light in his eyes.

Jace raised an eyebrow at that. Was it jealousy he could hear, coloring Alec’s words? Well, if such was the case, he didn’t have a problem with it – far from it, actually. He had grown to think over his years spent in Idris, that the taboo of eros was more a way to keep parabatai in line and focused on their duty as soldiers than a real risk of magic happening. From what he had read, true pair of parabatai could only grow stronger once they were together, and if some of them became such talented fighters, it was only become they had become better once their souls had been bound together.

Feeling a little bold, Jace moved his hand so that it wasn’t resting atop of the layers of clothes, but rather underneath, skin against skin. Alec almost jumped at that, looking at him with huge, conflicted eyes, body very still before relaxing into the touch.

“Your hand is cold,” he finally said in a deadpan voice, moving closer so that his free hand was now resting on Jace’s forearm, the rest of their bodies almost touching.

Jace took it as his cue and was going to make a move when footsteps could suddenly be heard. Alec took a few steps back, making Jace shiver because of the loss of body warmth – among other things – and turned towards the intruders, a scowl on his face.

It was Izzy, who had grown into a beautiful woman over the years, Jace couldn’t help but notice – damn, the Lightwoods really had _everything_ going for them – with Clary, harboring an unhappy frown on her face, and her vampire friend trailing behind her.

“I thought I had recognized you,” Izzy said in a slow voice, walking up to them until she was only a few feet away. “When…”

“You were supposed to keep your presence a secret!” Clary interrupted her, sounding rather pissed off. “Especially from the Clave. Why –”

“It’s alright, Clary,” Jace said in a placating tone before sending a sorry look on Izzy’s direction. “They won’t say anything.”

He then turned towards Alec, who nodded unhappily, a conflicted look still present in his eyes. Jace felt his heart clench a little at the sight, wanting nothing more than to stay at his parabatai’s side and _talk_ – make up for all those lost years – but there were still many things to do before he could indulge in that.

“I have to go,” he said in a low voice, Alec pinching his lips at the words. “But I’ll see you around, okay?”

“Okay,” Alec accepted reluctantly after a moment of hesitation. “But…”

His voice trailed off, making Jace feel even worse. He was angry at the interruption, but didn’t let it show, preferring instead to wordlessly give his phone to Alec, watching hungrily as his parabatai entered his number in it.

“I’ll text you,” he quietly promised, fingers brushing against Alec’s as he got his phone back.

“Be careful,” was the only answer he got, in a quiet voice that was so unusual that Jace almost reconsidered his plan not to stick around the Institute.

Clary’s cough was enough to remind him of what was at stake, and he finally stepped away, looking at Alec one last time before leaving, brushing against Izzy before joining Clary’s side. The pull was back in full force, a magnetic touch almost enough to get him to turn on his feet, but he steeled himself, trying to focus on the coldness of the air rather than on the remains of Alec’s warmth on his fingers.

There was something heavy in the atmosphere when he turned at the corner of the street, not even looking back – knowing he would run to Alec if he did, and that wouldn’t do.

Not yet.

Not now.

ooOoo

Clary had been angry, once she had learned that Jace was actually familiar with the New York Institute and its residents, but both her parents hard forced her to see it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Still, she had been giving Jace the cold shoulder ever since, which he didn’t really mind – it left him with more time to text with Alec.

Talking with his parabatai was high on the list of his priorities, but both their lives meant they didn’t have much time to talk, having instead to resort exchanging texts. Jace knew how constrictive the schedule of the Institute could be, especially given Alec’s new duties, and he himself had a lot to do around New York, going from meeting with Downworlders to meeting with Shadowhunters who weren’t connected to any Institute, instead roaming free wherever they wanted. It was very important to convince these people to join them in the fight against Valentine, and Clary was lacking the diplomatic skills to do so, no matter how charismatic she could be.

After all, those independent Shadowhunters were still abiding by the laws and customs of the Clave, and didn’t appreciate very much Clary’s efforts to overthrow everything and rebuild their society in something that was more similar to the mundane world. Jace, on the other hand, knew how to present the whole matter in a way that could get Shadowhunters to joint their ranks – something that was sorely needed, as Valentine’s attacks were intensifying.

The Clave was still claiming that the man was still dead, no one having seen him alive except for a few witnesses whose word couldn’t be trusted – according to the Council, and if Jace was of a suspicious nature, he might very well have agreed with that opinion.

Nevertheless, all the diplomatic matters and recruitment weren’t keeping him busy every moment he spent awake, and he had taken into going hunting for demons when he had the opportunity. Sometimes he was accompanied – and by the Angel, Clary really needed some formal training, no matter how naturally gifted she was – but more often than not he went alone.

The plan was alone to come across Alec, but it hadn’t happened yet – despite the pull making itself more intense by each passing day, sometimes making him wake up in the middle of the night, heart squeezed painfully tight because of the ache caused by Alec’s absence.

He had seen Shadowhunters from the Institute on a couple of occasions, as well as Izzy – whom he had greeted from afar, and she had returned the gesture – who had been accompanied by a blonde woman he didn’t know, but of his parabatai?

Nothing to be seen.

And they couldn’t exactly plan for a meeting somewhere – if their phones were to fall in the wrong hands… They had already toyed the line a lot by sharing information through texts and the occasional voice messages, but going any further than that might bring the full weight of the Clave’s attention onto the New York Institute, which was something everyone wanted to avoid.

All in one, it explained why Jace found themselves walking through the cold streets of the city in the middle of the night, walking by passersby without paying them any attention. He had come across a couple of Raveners earlier in the day and had gotten rid of them easily enough, blowing off some steam in the process. However, it hadn’t completely relaxed him, hence why he was still walking outside, lost in the turmoil of his thoughts.

He had been wondering how his grandmother would see fit to punish him once she could get her hands on him once again. He knew his little stunt hadn’t gone unnoticed – after a couple of weeks, it was about time – and he suspected Imogen was angrier than she would let on to the public. On the other hand, it was public knowledge, at least within the Council, that the two of them had never really gotten along since she had brought him back in Idris, and he suspected his disappearance hadn’t been that much of surprise.

Seeing soldiers from the Council’s personal guard wouldn’t be a surprise either, and Jace had started preparing himself for the day it would arrive. His only hope was that Clary and her family wouldn’t get punished for her support, but he knew it would all depend on timing, and on whether or not the Clave would finally admit Valentine’s return.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice someone coming closer to him until he was grabbed by the arm and brought into a poorly lit alley a few steps away. It was only the warmth in his parabatai rune that made him realize it was Alec holding him and he relaxed, letting himself being manhandled away from eventual prying eyes.

“You ought to be more aware of your surroundings,” Alec chastised him in a low voice, standing so close to him Jace could feel the heat radiating from his body.

He raised an eyebrow, a playful smile coming to his lips – and there it was, the pull was back in full force, making him almost dizzy with want.

“The only reason I didn’t kick your ass was become I knew it was you, parabatai,” he answered in the same tone, hands moving to position themselves on Alec’s flanks.

The parabatai rune was pulsing, warm under his hand, and he noticed the way Alec was swallowing, Adam’s apple bobbling up and down.

“Jace…”

His voice was almost plaintive but Jace didn’t react at first, too busy losing himself in hazel eyes darkened by desire. At the beginning, when he had realized the tell-tale sign of arousal, he had wondered why Alec had agreed to become his parabatai, knowing it was a condemnation to never fulfilling his desires – and then, he had wondered why _he_ wasn’t troubled in the slightest by that realization. It had turned into quite a trip in self-discovery, leaving him decided to get his parabatai back as soon as possible. There were questions to be asked and answers to be given, but what was certain, in Jace’s eyes, was that they were better together than separated.

“It’s difficult to bump into you, you know?” Jace said in a calmer tone, tilting his head a little be able to look at Alec in the eyes. “I feel like I’ve seen more of Izzy than of you since I arrived…”

“Clave’s orders,” Alec grumbled, relaxing a little as the minutes went by.

His hands moved to reach the juncture between Jace’s forearms and his elbows, the position forcing them to be really close from each other. It was hard to hide anything from that point, and Jace let himself indulge in the moment, still not quite believing he had Alec’s body under his hands – had Alec’s hands over _his_ body.

Talk about dreams coming true.

“Apparently,” Alec went on, a sour look on his face, “it’s not _proper_ that I’m out on the field while you disappeared Raziel knows where. I’m pretty sure your grandmother is behind it.”

“That’s likely,” Jace answered with a frown.

On one hand, it was great to be able to talk to Alec as if nothing had happened – as if they hadn’t been separated for seven years. On the other hand, he felt rather bad that his parabatai was now stuck to office duties when his place was on the field – hunting demons, fighting Valentine’s forces.

“Mother indulged her at first but she thought it was a waste of skills, and decided to send me back, considering that no one saw you in town.”

No one but Izzy, but neither of them was going to raise the issue, considering it a given that she would help protect their little secret.

“That’s much better,” Jace agreed, words suddenly stuck in his throat at the look in Alec’s eyes.

“So, how come you’re back? Are you decided to rebel against the Clave?”

“Not really, but they need to accept the fact that Valentine is back,” Jace said in a faint voice, feeling the grip on his arms a little tighter.

He had it _bad_.

“They’re never going to accept it until he shows his face to the world,” Alec pointed out, moving again so that he was now standing between Jace’s legs, hands moving higher up his arms. “It would mean they were wrong about that, and the Clave is never wrong about anything.”

“They’re wrong about a bunch of things, _parabatai_ ,” Jace retorted in a sigh, licking his lips in an unconscious move.

The bond flared between them and Jace moaned loudly when Alec finally kissed him, a chaste touch of the lips that lasted for a couple of seconds before deepening, passion overwhelming them. It was like pieces of a puzzle finally finding their places, the world disappearing around them while they were kissing, skin on fire and passion burning through their veins.

They only separated due to the lack of breath, panting loudly, Jace laughing a little as Alec looked both more relaxed and satiated than he had ever seen him before.

“We should move to somewhere more comfortable,” Alec finally said, eyes still darkened.

His hand came to brush away an errand strand of hair, making Jace blush a little under the intensity of his gaze.

“There’s a hotel not far from here,” he said in a hoarse voice that sounded foreign to his ears.

Damn, if just a kiss could fluster him like that, he was eager to find out what everything else could bring.

ooOoo

The room was decent and the mattress firm under Jace when he sat down on the bed, Alec standing in front of him with something hesitant on his face. They had both gotten rid of their jackets and shoes, the warmth of the room to much for them to keep it on, but nothing had gone any further. Alec’s hesitancy was such a drastic change from before that Jace frowned a little, dread pooling up at the bottom of his stomach.

The magnetic pull had disappeared, all of sudden, replaced by exhaustion so deep it made Jace feel almost sick, nervousness lighting up every cell of his body.

“So… This is it,” Alec finally said after a while, looking everywhere but at Jace.

“It is,” Jace said with a little nod. “Do you want to sit down? You look a little green around the edges.”

He hadn’t noticed it before, in the moonlight, but that they were in a room that was fairly lit, Alec’s paleness stood out even more, as well as the huge bag under his eyes. His parabatai didn’t look particularly healthy, despite the good shape of his body, and Jace felt his heart clench at the sight. He could never forgive his grandmother for having kept them separated for so long – when it was obvious they would have gained _everything_ at staying together.

“I’m fine,” Alec mumbled without much heat as he sat down.

The bed creaked a little under their combined weight but Jace barely noticed, too focused on Alec’s profile. His parabatai really didn’t look well and Jace felt worry growing inside him. Moved by an impulse, he gently grabbed Alec by the shoulders and forced him to follow his lead as he laid down more comfortably on the bed. Luckily for him, the various pillows were thick enough that he could rest on them without squeezing them.

Alec followed without complain, arranging himself so that he was lying on his side, curled against Jace’s left side, his head resting on Jace’s shoulder. His eyes were half-closed and Jace started playing with his hair, brushing through the soft black strands.

“Are you okay?” he asked in a low voice, trying to check through the bond.

He hadn’t quite gotten the hang of it yet, but Alec seemed to notice his effort, humming quietly before nodding a little, moving one arm so that it was thrown over Jace’s stomach.

“I’m a little tired,” he admitted after a time, eyes still closed. “Everything has been…”

His voice trailed off and Jace made a little encouraging noise, still playing with Alec’s hair while his other hand was drifting on his back, drawing light circles on top of Alec’s spine. They stayed like this in silence for a long moment, Jace relaxing against the warmth of Alec’s body – and he was pretty sure his parabatai dozed off at one point, his body too relaxed under Jace’s fingers to still be fully awake.

Jace could see the moon by the window when Alec stirred in his arms, huffing a little before raising his head towards him, his eyes still heavy with sleep. The exhaustion that had settled over Jace earlier was gone, and the magnetic pull was back, every cell in his body thrumming with excitement.

“What time…?” Alec mumbled in a low voice, something very lost in his expression that quickly turned into surprised delight once he focused on Jace’s face.

“It’s barely half past one,” Jace answered after checking his phone.

There was a maelstrom of emotions on Alec’s face and he couldn’t decipher them all – not until a private, bright smile broke onto Alec’s lips before he moved a little to kiss him. Jace returned the kiss immediately, feeling his lips turn into a smile at the same time. Alec’s little nap seemed to have done him a lot of good and he was now half-lying on top of Jace, bodies brushing together as they were lazily kissing, taking the time to discover each other without the heat that had overwhelmed them in the alley earlier.

“I can’t believe this is real,” Alec admitted in a low voice between two kisses, a serious look on his face. “You, back in New York… _here_ …”

“This is real,” Jace assured him, holding him tightly by the neck. “Me and you, here and now? It couldn’t get any more real. I’m just sorry we had to wait for so long before it happened.”

Alec stayed quiet for a moment, looking at him with intensity before biting his lip.

“Are you sure you want it to happen? If the Clave ever finds out…”

“You’re worth the risk,” Jace promised him, voice more serious and sincere than it had been ever been. “Our souls are bound together and I want you in every possible way, Alec Lightwood.”

Alec blushed a little at that, and Jace felt the warm feeling come through the bond again – it was _love_ , he suddenly realized, pure, unadulterated love. The realization was enough to make his heart jump a little and he held tighter onto Alec, feeling himself melt into the kiss as his parabatai wrapped himself over him once again.

Something in the mood of the room changed then, and although they kept lazily kissing for a long time, Jace was well aware of the arousal that was starting to pool once again at the bottom of his stomach. Judging from the light in Alec’s eyes – and how they had gone from hazel to black – he wasn’t the only one in that situation. Their moves slowly became more passionate, and they soon found themselves grinding against each other, clothes getting in the way as they wanted to touch as much skin as possible.

Jace started tugging at Alec’s shirt, intent on getting it out of the way, and they had to stop kissing for a moment, in order to get rid of their clothes. They were panting slightly, and Jace paused once he finally had his shirtless parabatai in front of him, looking with fascination at his body. Seeing the sharp lines of well-defined muscles, the way runes were standing out proudly on pale skin was much more of a turn-on that Jace would have expected. On the other hand, he had always been attracted to Alec, and finally having the possibility to have him was enough to knock the wind out of him.

“You’re staring,” Alec whispered, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

There was something almost hesitant in his eyes and Jace moved to kiss him gently, one hand cupping his cheek and the other traveling down Alec’s torso.

“What else am I supposed to do?” Jace answered with a little laugh, seeing with satisfaction the blush intensifies on Alec’s face. “Have you looked at yourself recently?”

Alec coughed a little without answering and bent down to kiss him more deeply, one hand keeping Jace lying on the bed while the other was moving down to his pants.

“I could ask you the same question”, he finally retorted, a wicked light in his eyes as he started playing with Jace’s fly.

What he was going to say got lost in a moan when Alec’s hand finally found his target, turning Jace into a mess of moans and whimpers, quivering on the bed while Alec was laughing over him, kissing him lazily until he was brought to completion. Everything disappeared into fireworks, except for the warmth of Alec’s body against his, and it took him a few minutes to regain his senses, not quite believing how intense it had been.

“Wow,” Jace finally managed to say after a time, turning to look at Alec who was curled up against him, a very satisfied smile on his lips. “That was… where did you learn to do _that_?”

“Surprise,” Alec whispered against his mouth before kissing him again and then moving away. “Now, stay here and don’t move, I’m not done with you yet.”

Jace couldn’t help but whimper at the authority in Alec’s voice, passion flaring up through the bond. His reaction didn’t go unnoticed and a gentle smile appeared on Alec’s face, that did nothing to contradict the wicked light in his eyes.

“Parabatai,” Jace murmured, suddenly overwhelmed by love, reaching to play with Alec’s hair as his lover was positioning himself between his legs.

Alec raised his head and smirked a little, briefly moving up to kiss him teasingly while one his hands was already playing with Jace’s body once again

_“Parabatai.”_

The word sounded like a promise in Alec’s mouth, rich and heavy with undertones that made Jace shiver a little, overwhelmed by everything he could feel through the bond.

There was no better place to be than here and now, and he soon lost himself in the storm of sensations, everything disappearing but the warmth of Alec’s body surrounding him everywhere, merging with his own body. The two of them were lost in a space where nothing else existed – nothing else mattered, but the pure, unaltered love between them.

This was where they belonged and Jace had never felt so alive.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always welcome :-)


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